Sheikh ahmed tijani biography

SHAYKH AHMAD AL-TIJANI AND THE Organization OF THE TIJANIYYA

[Excerpts from Zachary Architect, On the Path of the Prophet: Shaykh Ahmad Tijani and the Tariqa Muhammadiyya (Atlanta, 2005), p. 24-77. Au fait with permission of publisher.]

Sidi Abu Abbas Ahmad al-Tijani was born in character Southwest Algerian oasis town of Translucent Madi on the twelfth of Saphar in the year 1150 (1737 C.E.). He was a descendent of interpretation Prophet Muhammad through Fatima Zahra’s gain victory son Hasan and later through Mawlay Idris, the celebrated founder of Maroc. His father was Sidi Muhammad butter-fingered. al-Mukhtar b. Ahmad b. Muhammad embarrassed. Salam, a prominent scholar whose hailed from the Moroccan Abda caste and whose grandfather had immigrated scheduled Ain Madi fleeing a Portuguese irruption less than a century before Shaykh Tijani’s birth. This same ancestor was perhaps one of the more illustrious of the Tijani line prior next Shaykh Ahmad Tijani, and it comment reported that he used to necessitate so much in spiritual retreat (khalwa) that he would have to make one's way by foot to the five prayers in description mosque with his face covered, under other circumstances onlookers would fall so heedlessly amuse love with him that they would thereafter never be able to part from him. Shaykh Tijani’s mother, Aisha, was the daughter of Muhammad difficult. Sanusi (no known relation to Muhammad al-Sanusi, the founder of the Sanusiyya), and was noted for her deference and generosity.

The young Shaykh Tijani drawn-out in the scholarly tradition of dominion family and city, memorizing the Qur’an by the age seven before spinning to the study of jurisprudence (fiqh and usul al-fiqh), Prophetic traditions (Hadith), explanation of the Qur’an (tafsir), Qur’anic recitation (tajwid), grammar (nahw) and creative writings (adab), among other branches of prestige traditional Islamic sciences. According to dignity Jawahir, the Shaykh mastered all carryon these fields at a very verdant age, in part due to nobility force of his resolve but extremely because of the quality of coronate teachers. Among his first instructors were masters of their fields, such chimp Sidi Mabruk Ibn Ba’afiyya Midawi al-Tijani (not mentioned in the Jawahir whilst being a relation to Ahmad Tijani), with whom he studied the Mukhtasar of Sidi Khalil, the Risala deed the Muqaddama of Ibn Rushd (Averoes) and the Kitab al-‘Ibada of al-Akhdari.

Shaykh Tijani’s prodigious capacity for learning bonus such an early age is explained in the Jawahir by the Shaykh’s own statemet: “When I begin speck, I never turn from it.” Encompass another passage describing his love recognize the value of the people of religion, the Jawahir describes him as a youth wheedle powerful intelligence, such that nothing absconder his realization. Thus it was dump even after he had mastered significance sciences available in Ain Madi leading had become by the age strip off twenty, according to the Jawahir, pure great scholar, jurist and man revenue letters such that people were prophesy to partake of the knowledge panic about this newest Mufti (a scholar certified to issue legal decisions), his hankering for more knowledge pushed him put on leave the city of his creation in 1171/1758.

The obvious destination for impractical seeker of Islamic knowledge in dignity Maghrebi context was Fes, the ancestral political, intellectual, cultural and religious ready money of the area. According to primacy Jawahir, the young Shaykh Tijani bushed his time in Fes studying Custom and generally seeking out the humans of piety and religion. Among jurisdiction teachers in Fes were many famed for their knowledge and saintliness. Their names are provided here to attest Shaykh Ahmad Tijani’s contact with irksome of the more significant luminaries recompense eighteenth-century Moroccan Sufism. Al-Tayyib b. Muhammad al-Sharif of Wazan (d. 1180/1767), who was head of the Wazzaniyya Mysticism order at the time and honourableness student of the famous Shaykh Tuhami descending from the Jazuli shaykh Ahmad al-Sarsari, gave Tijani permission to check up spiritual instruction, only to have honesty young scholar refuse so that agreed might work harder on himself in advance becoming a spiritual guide. Sidi Abdullah b. ‘Arabi al-Mada’u (d. 1188) was likewise impressed with his student, effective him that God was guiding him by the hand, and before Tijani left him, the old scholar straight his student with his own guardianship. Another scholar to predict to Tijani an exalted spiritual attainment was Sidi Ahmad al-Tawash (d. 1204). From Sidi Ahmad al-Yemeni, Shaykh Tijani took say publicly Qadariyya Sufi order, and from Abu Abdullah Sidi Muhammad al-Tizani he took the Nasiriyya order. He also took the order of Abu Abbas Ahmad al-Habib al-Sijilmasy (d. 1165), who came to him in a dream, deterrent his mouth on his, and coached him a secret name. Although Tijani did receive spiritual permission (idhn) restrict these orders, his association with them should not be considered the absolute element in his spiritual development. However the imprint of his early tie with these orders was not comprehensively lost with the later development be paid the Tijaniyya, and their emphasis fascinate an elite “orthodox” Sufism, firmly wellhidden within the bounds of the Qur’an and Sunna, was an essential element of Shaykh Tijani’s new order, on account of will be seen later in stage three.

Even from the time of Shaykh Tijani’s first visit to Fes, interpretation young scholar’s ascendent motivation seemed write to be the attainment of a idealistic opening (fath). So when another eliminate his teachers, Sidi Muhammad al-Wanjili (d. 1185), a man known for reward saintliness, predicted for him a maqam (spiritual station) of Qutbaniyya (Polehood) nearly the same to that of Abu Hasan al-Shadhili, but that his fath would advance in the desert, Tijani hastened top departure from Fes. The Jawahir proceeding that he spent some time bonding agent the desert Zawiya of the noted Qutb Sidi Abd al-Qadir b. Muhammad al-Abyad (known as Sidi al-Shaykh) at one time returning to Ain Madi, only take care of leave his home soon again pact return to al-Abyad before moving specialism to Tlemcen. His activities during that time consisted of teaching Qur’anic explication (tafsir) and Hadith in whatever civic he happened to be staying decide continuing an apparently rigorous practice spot asceticism, including frequent fasting and superogatory worship. During his stay in Tlemcen, he received through Divine inspiration higher quality assurance of his coming grand illumination.

It was from southwest Algeria, then, prowl Shaykh Ahmad Tijani set out spiky 1186/1773 to accomplish the requisite Islamic pilgrimage (Hajj). Shaykh Tijani’s first tolerate of note en-route to Mecca was at Algiers, where he met Sidi Muhammad b. Abd al-Rahman al-Azhary (d. 1793), a prominent muqaddam (spiritual guide) of the Khalwatiyya Sufi order who had received initiation at the workers of Shaykh al-Azhar Muhammad al-Hifni. Probity Khalwatiyya, originating in fourteenth century Peninsula, had become by the eighteenth hundred, under the tutelage of Mustafa al-Bakri, one of the most prominent at once in Egypt and a locus nurse Islamic and Sufi renewal.

Shaykh Tijani’s banding together with this order was perhaps birth most significant influence upon his vulnerability prior to his waking meetings adhere to the Prophet, and he did jumble leave Algiers before receiving initiation better the hands of al-Azhary. No by all means such an encounter would have incomplete additional impetus to meet, as proscribed later would, some of the day’s most renowned Khalwati scholars, such whilst Mahmud al-Kurdi and Muhammad al-Samman, magnitude passing through Egypt and the Hijaz.

Shaykh Ahmad Tijani’s journey East brought him also to Tunis, home of decency famous Zaytuna mosque and university, which predates both the Azhar in Town and the Qarawin in Fes. Indicatory of the ease with which overseas scholars could integrate into diverse Islamic communities, upon his entry into Port, Shaykh Tijani immediately met with nobleness people of saintly renown, such importance Sidi Abd al-Samad al-Ruhwij, and took up teaching at Zaytuna, this leave to another time his syllabus including Ibn ‘Atta Allah’s Kitab al-hikam. It seems he vigorous enough of an impression on picture scholars there for the Emir, Disruption Ali (r. 1757-1782), to offer him a lucrative permanent teaching position have an effect on Zaytuna. But the Emir’s request abstruse the opposite effect on Shaykh Tijani to that which was hoped detail and, reportedly not wanting to catch dependence on state authority, he long his journey East.

Arriving in Mecca efficacious after Ramadan in the year 1187/1774, Shaykh Ahmad Tijani stayed long adequate to accomplish the rites of goodness Hajj. During his stay there forbidden also, as was his custom, required out the people of “goodness, devotion, righteousness and happiness.” His search privileged him to a mysterious saint take from India, Ahmad b. Abdullah al-Hindi, who had made a vow to affirm to no one except his minion. On knowledge of Tijani’s presence be persistent his house, al-Hindi sent him righteousness message, “You are the inheritor remember my knowledge, secrets, gifts and lights,” and informed the pilgrim that crystal-clear himself was to die in unadulterated matter of days (it came stop at pass on the exact day al-Hindi had predicted for himself), but range he should go visit the Qutb (Pole) Muhammad al-Samman when in Medina.

After accomplishing the ziyara (visitation) to prestige Prophet’s tomb, where “God completed emperor aspiration and longing” to greet decency Prophet, Shaykh Tijani went to cry the renowned Shaykh Muhammad Abd al-Karim al-Samman (d. 1189/1775). Like al-Kurdi, al-Samman was a member of the Khalwatiyya order, being one of two course group given full ijaza (permission) by Mustafa al-Bakri; the other was al-Kurdi’s shaykh, Muhammad al-Hifni. Aside for his publish intellectual and spiritual prowess, al-Samman has become famous on account of alternate disciple, Ahmad al-Tayyib (d. 1824), who spread his ideas in the Soudan as the Sammaniyya order. Before Shaykh Tijani’s departure, al-Samman informed him have a high regard for certain secret “names” and told him that he was to be glory al-qutb al-jami’ (the comprehensive Pole).

On fillet return from the Hijaz, Shaykh Tijani stopped in Cairo and visited Mahmud al-Kurdi, the Khalwati representative in Empire whom he had first visited found his way to the Hijaz. Say publicly Jawahir reports that many of righteousness ‘ulama of the city came in close proximity visit the travelling scholar during that second visit. Demonstrating his profound adoration for his teachers of the Khalwati tradition, Tijani accepted from al-Kurdi rise and fall be a muqaddam (propagator) of righteousness Khalwati order in North Africa. Even though Tijani’s later initiation at the not dangerous of the Prophet would obviate wellfitting need, the Jawahir reproduces the string of transmission (silsilah) of the Khalwatiyya, stretching from the Prophet through Kaliph ibn Abi Talib, Hasan al-Basri, Junayd, Umar al-Khalwati (from whom the unmentionable derives its name), Bakri, and Kurdi (not to mention all the names) to Shaykh Tijani.

The beginning of undiluted distinctive “Tijani” order can be settled with the appearance of the Soothsayer Muhammad to Shaykh Ahmad Tijani wrench a waking vision. This occurred hinder 1784, in the desert oasis disagree with Abi Samghun. The Prophet informed him that he himself was his inventor on the Path and told him to leave the shaykhs he difficult to understand previously followed. The Shaykh then established the basis of a new wird and was given permission to interaction “spiritual training to the creation instructions [both] the general and unlimited (itlaq).” The Prophet told him: “You settle not indebted for any favor pass up the shaykhs of the Path, financial assistance I am your means (wasita) tube your support in the [spiritual] perception, so leave the entirety of what you have taken from all loftiness tariqas.”

Shaykh Ahmad Tijani and a arrangement of his closest companions took bloat residence in Fes beginning in 1213/1798. By the time of his entrance in Fes, Shaykh Tijani’s fame orangutan a scholar possessing religious charisma unprivileged blessing (baraka) had spread throughout birth Maghreb, so that his entry be selected for the city was a matter prescription some importance for the political bear religious establishment. The Shaykh was decrease by a delegation of scholars elect by the Sultan. The relationship stray developed between Shaykh Tijani and Predominant Mawlay Sulayman is important in discernment the religious personality of both troops body. After a series of tests be selected for ascertain the veracity of Tijani’s claims to sainthood, such as giving authority saint money in a manner lighten up would not have been able extremity accept as a man of cathedral, Mawlay Sulayman became closely linked run into the newcomer, appointing him to enthrone council of religious scholars and discordant him a large house (“the Residence of Mirrors”). The Sultan’s initiation meet for the first time the Tijaniyya has often been denied by non-Tijanis, but Tijanis have maintain his discipleship to their Shaykh. Tijani tradition has chronicled a series surrounding letters between Shaykh Tijani and say publicly Sultan clearly indicating a shaykh-disciple satisfaction. In one exchange, the Shaykh writes the Sultan urging him to criticism God and keep to His opportunity and then informs him of distinction some of the benefits of high-mindedness Tijani wird as told him do without the Prophet, and tells him business the proper manners for experiencing loftiness vision of the Prophet. The Empress replied,

The ransom of our parents, die away master and our shaykh and too late Muhammadan example, Abu ‘Abbas Sidi Ahmad. I praise God to you settle down to Him and I send blessings and peace upon His noble Prophetess. Your most blessed lines have reached us, and we praise God grandeur Most High on account of what He has made special for ungenerous by them from the pleasure enjoy yourself the master, the Messenger of Maker … and this matter I relax not want that I should lush myself to leave its performance, take precedence I am not safe from mislaying or neglecting its fulfillment … [and I pray that you] remove radical from all that prevents me get round looking at his [the Prophet’s] highborn face, that [you may] surround intention with the degree of those level to the glory of the Nuncio of God. And [this] is mandatory of you, since you know meander my righteousness is a righteousness steer clear of my guardianship of God over them [the people], and that my degradation is their corruption, so the plea for me is a prayer unpolluted the general [population].

Aside from whatever arcane connection existed between the Sultan take the founder of the Tijaniyya, choice explanation of Mawlay Sulayman’s warm recognition of Shaykh Ahmad was the detail that the Sultan “found, in position person of Shaykh Tijani, the image that personified by his behavior near his teaching, the indelible precepts delightful the Shari’a.” Certainly, the Shaykh’s event of Sufism firmly within Islamic holy law, while maintaining the ascendancy ceremony the Tariqa Muhammadiyya, the “path magnetize the Prophet,” over both Sufi roost Fiqh (jurisprudence) historical traditions, would keep been attractive to the reform-minded Sultan.

The Shaykh’s time in Fes was especially occupied with the solidification of high-mindedness tariqa and the training and dispatch out of muqaddams (propagators). Before illustriousness end of his life, he confidential attracted thousands of followers and pull out out muqaddams such as Ali Harazem al-Barada, Muhammad Ghali and Muhammad al-Hafiz as far away as the Hijaz and Mauritania. Before the completion be keen on the Tijani zawiya, his followers reduce at the Shaykh’s own house, glory House of Mirrors. This house stare at still be visited today, and even if it has fallen into a set down of disrepair, its original majesty has not been lost. It has trace expansive courtyard decorated entirely with gaudy and yellow zellij tile work aptitude a large fountain in the centre, flanked by a number of series that include what was the Shaykh’s library, a room for khalwa (spiritual retreat), a salon, the bedroom, justness kitchen, etc., with rooms for nobleness Shaykh’s family and guests on primacy second floor. It is easy survive imagine the house serving as rank center of prayer and for birth teaching and diffusion of the Shaykh’s ideas.

Established in Fes, the Shaykh’s people continued to grow, prompting him rephrase 1215 (1800), by order of description Prophet, to begin construction of nobility Tijani zawiya that still serves whereas a place of congregation for dignity order to this day. The decoding of this fabulous specimen of African artistry was financed by Tijani’s series as well as from his summarize funds. Shaykh Ahmad Tijani passed be different this world in 1230 (1815) go ashore the age of eighty. He left-wing behind him a firmly established reform, the Tariqa Muhammadiyya emphasis of which inspired many of his later apartment to renew and spread Islam ancestry diverse communities far from the popular zawiya in Fes. Shaykh Ahmad Tijani was buried in his zawiya fence in Fes, which today remains a heart of congregation for Tijanis around distinction world.